Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Janny Wurts is an American author and illustrator who primarily plays within the fantasy fiction sandbox. Wurts is best known for works like The Empire Trilogy and The Cycle of Fire series.

+Biography
Janny Wurts was born in 1953 in Pennsylvania. She has since accumulated quite the impressive resume which includes the work she has done with Mayfair Games as an illustrator and the numerous fantasy novels she has written over the years.

As a young adult, there was no question in Janny Wurts’ mind that she would pursue the Arts. She studied Creative Writing and Illustration at Hampshire College where she graduated with a BA and then proceeded to sell her skills and services to anyone who could pay.

Illustration and writing where Wurts’ specialty, though for a while she feared that she would be forced to choose between the two. Her first real taste of success came to the author via her illustrative work.

A writer called Daniel Mannix hired Wurts to produce the interior illustrations for ‘The Wolves of Paris’, Mannix’s 1978 novel. Wurts did a decent job and that opened the door for her to land gigs in advertising.

When Wurts began to actively pursue her own personal creative work, she made an effort to prioritize her abilities both as a writer and an illustrator. ‘Sorcerer’s Legacy’, her first novel, published in 1982, allowed her to do just that.

She wrote the story and also designed a number of the book covers. It was from her artistic work on ‘Sorcerer’s Legacy’ that Wurts began to shine. Her earlier illustrative efforts, while decent, had also been quite tame.

Wurts chose to play it safe primarily because she had an employer to please. When it came to her own work, though, it was clear that the author was far more unrestrained and she seemed to lean into the fantasy elements, clearly reflecting her passion for the genre.

Interestingly enough, even though she went on to write so many more novels, it was Janny Wurts’ illustrative work that got her all the attention. Some publishing professionals will argue that Wurts’ renown as an author was the issue, not her writing.

As an artist, Wurts’ artistic abilities allowed her to work with some truly impressive writers, and it was only natural that her illustrations would garner her so much attention when paired with books by the likes of Gary Gygax.

It also helped that Wurts’ work was so creative. That same interest from readers did not translate to the book covers she drew for her own novels most of which did not attract significant attention, at least not in the 1980s or even the 1990s.

The author married Dan Maitz, an artist, in 1989 and the occurrence further cemented her association with the artistic arena. The pair went so far as to collaborate on a few projects.

In truth, you won’t find Janny Wurts taking offense at suggestions that she is better known for her artwork. Those claims are perfectly accurate. She has seen the likes of NASA recognize her paintings and she has the awards to prove that her illustrations are exceptional.

That being said, Wurts isn’t particularly fond of critics who dismiss her stories as relatively typical fantasy fair. The author is as passionate about writing as she is about her illustrations.

She wants people to recognize her for her stories with the same fervor that they bring to the table when they praise her art. The author looks at her writing and her drawing skills as two sides of the same coin, tools of varying structures which are used to tell stories.

It has been Wurts’ lifelong dream to bring the two together, to blend her words and her pictures in a manner that intimately engages the reader’s mind. No one that has ever read Janny Wurts’ novels would ever doubt her dedication to the craft.

For the most part, whenever Wurts’ name emerges in a conversation about the fantasy genre, discussions almost always lean towards the Empire trilogy which the author wrote with Raymond E. Feist, a popular writer of fantasy.

But diehard Janny Wurts fans will argue that her own individual works are just as impressive as the Empire Trilogy. They often praise her for her precise and lyrical writing style.

They admit that her prose is quite dense, putting the author’s extensive vocabulary on full display. However, that merely forces readers to take their time with her novels, to read each line carefully to better understand her message.

The stories Wurts creates are normally multi-layered and vast in their scope, spanning several books and juggling a multitude of plot threads.

No one expects Wurts to ever attract the attention her ardent fans believe she deserves. But she has never stopped trying to bring her seamless combination of words and illustrations to the world.

+Daughters of the Empire
Mara was only 17-years-old when she became the Ruling Lady of the Acoma. She should have been too busy dealing with her ceremonial pledge to the goddess Lashima. But then she learned that her father and brother had died and that Acoma’s enemies, the Minwanabi, were to blame.

With her forces decimated, Mara realized that House Acoma would fall into certain ruin unless she acted. Acoma’s enemies never expected Mara to rise up to the challenge. They never thought she would find allies in her loyal military commanders and her nurse.

So they were caught quite off guard when Mara began to play the dangerous Game of the Council, showing an uncanny willingness to bend tradition to suit her needs.

+Servants of the Empire
When House Acoma was threatened, Mara rose up to beat the tide of its enemies back, eventually rising to a place of prominence. She thought that her newfound wealth and power would bring her security but she was sorely mistaken.

One thorn remains. Lord Jingu’s son has sworn an unbreakable oath to the Red God. He has promised to use every scheme in his arsenal to destroy House Acoma. If he fails, he is obligated to end his own bloodline.

All Gabriel Allon fans will be eagerly anticipating this one - your favourite spy is back in The New Girl, coming to bookshelves in mid-July. In this one, a girl is kidnapped from an exclusive private school in Switzerland and Gabriel Allon is brought on board to find her. More Details.

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if you are a fan of Jack Reacher you need to read the "Peter Ash" series by Nick Petrie. Endorsed by Lee Child himself, this is a fantastic book series and is the best recommendation I can give for any fans of Reacher. More details.

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If you’re a fan of standalone thrillers then be sure to read any of the standalones by Brad Parks. The guy is a master! I’ve read over 50 different authors of standalone thrillers in the last year and no-one stands out like Brad. More Details.

Did You Know…

David Baldacci received a degree in B.A in political science from Virginia Commonwealth University and also a degree in Law from the University of Virginia. For nine years, he practiced law, first as a trial and then as a corporate attorney in Washington, D.C.